If you’ve recently read our Tips for Beginner Vegetable Gardening you’re probably keen to get stuck into it! Before that though, it’s important you have all the right tools for the job. From mowers to blowers, let’s dig into our list of essential garden power tools you need to maintain your garden’s botanical feel… at high speed.
Lawn Mower
You don’t have to be passionate about gardening to know that your grass needs a thorough cutting every once in awhile. Let’s face it, nobody wants to wade through an overgrown jungle to get to the opposite side of the lawn. It looks messy, un-kept, and neglected. You’re a homeowner, and you want your garden to shine like it deserves. You want your grass to be short, green and tamed.
The lawn mower is the most basic, commonly used piece of outdoor gardening machinery out there. When you start out, there are heaps of mowers to choose from, and picking the correct piece of machinery can seem like a daunting thought. But whichever model you choose, you need one in your shed! Mowers can be an expensive piece of equipment, so you may want to look for used mowers online as you’ll find a greater range available. Make sure if you’re buying used that you ask to see photos of the blades, as what good is a mower with blunt blades! If you already have a lawn mower then check out our guide on How to make a perfect lawn.
Hedge Trimmers
You don’t want to be spending hours chopping away those unwanted weeds with a pair of rusty old pliers. If your droopy bushes need leveling out, hedge trimmers are your best bet.
When choosing your desired trimmer, there are a few things to take into consideration; the weight, the style, the cutting capacity. You don’t want to buy an extremely heavy piece of equipment that you struggle to hold after 10 minutes. Corded models and cordless battery models more often than not weigh less so they would probably be a little more comfortable than gas powered trimmers. Husqvarna, Ryobi and Kobalt are just some of the brand names to look out for when browsing the shelves. But like all garden power tools, be careful when using your trimmer and keep your hands away from the blade!
Leaf Blower
Don’t let those nasty stray leaves suffocate your beautiful lawn. The last thing you want is to be spending hours outside in the scorching sun raking up those rusty old leaves. It’s time-consuming, and quite frankly extremely boring (Especially when the leaves are blowing straight back to where you started!). Whether it’s your driveway, the garden path or just getting rid of those annoying waifs and strays, leaf blowers are a God send!
They come in three different types: gas powered, corded and cordless models. The corded leaf blower has a long extension cord so it can be plugged into the mains. Yes, this may be inconvenient (you don’t want to trip over) but they are lighter, cheaper, and probably more “homeowner friendly”. The cordless models are your best option because you don’t have the cord or the noise of the gas powered models. They don’t pollute the air either! In contrast, the gas leaf blower is the most intimidating of the three. They can blow leaves up to 240 kph (150 mph)! This is just slightly more powerful than its slightly tamer brother who blows air at a speed of 80-160 kph (50-100 mph). Some people don’t have a lot of time to spare during the weekends going around the backyard or lawn blowing leaves into a pile. Gas-powered leaf blowers can shorten the time it takes to finish the job, especially when dealing with larger spaces.
String Trimmer
Weeds. The bane of every gardener’s life. Why spending all your time making your garden look like a work of art, for it to be ruined by overgrown weeds? The string trimmer is one of the best power tools out there for tidying up those places that are too awkward for your lawn mower to tackle. It polishes off those finishing touches and puts the cherry on the cake!
These bad boys have a flexible monofilament line as opposed to a blade, which helps create that smooth finish to your garden borders. Again, electric models are much cheaper than gas. You won’t run out of power but don’t forget about the annoying cord that could get in your way. Many people these days are opting for battery powered string trimmers, but the power might not last too long. If you go for a gas powered model, prepare for some serious noise and power. If you have problems with your gas string trimmer learn how to replace the starter rope and maintain your trimmer from our guide.
Garden Cultivator vs Garden Tiller
Do you dream of smooth, fine-grained soil? We do too, it’s the foundation of any garden project. Choosing between a cultivator and a tiller may be tricky, but the decision will mainly be based on the job you’re doing. Ask yourself, “Do I want to BREAK soil, or do I want to MIX soil?” While both tools use metal blades for digging, cultivators are used for mixing soil and stirring compost. If you want to break ground and loosen hard soil, what you’re actually after is a garden tiller. They are gas powered and have the ability to mix hard soil that a cultivator isn’t strong enough to do. Because they’re less powerful, garden cultivators are best for already tilled soil. They’re smaller, easier to use and great help before you start planting! If you want to learn more about preparing the soil be sure to check out our article How to prepare soil for planting.
So the right equipment might be the difference between an overgrown jungle and a garden of beauty and tranquillity. Which garden power tools are your number one choice?
